iconaGLOSSARY


  • Alpha emitting radionuclide
    The alpha emitting radionuclide is an unstable atom that undergoes alpha decay. If easily measurable photons are not emitted in the decay process, it is an HTM radionuclide.

  • Beta particles
    The beta particles are electron and positron emitted by beta minus and beta plus decay processes respectively.

  • Destructive measure
    The destructive measure is necessary to determine HTM radionuclides, since easily measurable photons are not emitted in their decay processes. At least one of the following steps is required before radiometric measure: sample collection, pre-treatment, radiochemical procedures for matrix removal and interfering radionuclide separation, source preparation.

  • Easy-to-Measure (ETM) radionuclide
    The Easy-to-Measure radionuclide is an unstable atom that undergoes radioactive decay and emits easily measurable photons that allow direct radiometric measure by non-destructive assays.

  • Gamma-ray spectrometry
    The gamma-ray spectrometry is the measuring technique that allows to identify and quantify ETM radionuclides by analysis of gamma-ray energy spectrum.

  • Hard-to-Measure (HTM) radionuclide
    The Hard-to-Measure radionuclide is an unstable atom that undergoes radioactive decay without emitting easily measurable photons, as their energy or branching ratio may be too low. Consequently, radiometric measure is possible just by destructive assays.

  • Key radionuclide
    The key radionuclide is an ETM radionuclide that is measured in a large number of samples and used to quantify HTM radionuclides thanks to scaling factors.

  • Pure beta emitting radionuclide
    The pure beta emitting radionuclide is an unstable atom that undergoes beta minus, beta plus, or electron capture decay, without emitting easily measurable photons. Consequently, it is an HTM radionuclide.

  • Scaling factor
    The scaling factors are special correlation factors derived from mathematical relationships that, if some conditions are fulfilled, can be used to estimate HTM radionuclides from radiometric measures of an ETM key radionuclide, without resorting to laborious and lengthy radiochemical procedures.